The countdown begins!

I realized a few days ago how fast time is flying by.... its only 6 weeks till my big holiday craft show and I still have so much to do!! I sat down and made out a schedule of how many puppets, playfood and peg dolls I need to create each week to hit my target goal for the show!!  Needless to say, it's going to be a busy 6 weeks but I think I got off to a good start don't you think?!

Once I get a few more in the done pile, I'll be hosting a give away so be sure to check back often for a chance to win!!:)

Creations ...

My name is Hallie and I am a wood burning addict.... lol

That's what I feel like these days... I get up when hubby goes to work and by 6 I am working on another wooden toy creation and laughing at myself for enjoying it so much!! lol

This little guy is for a swap with BitsofGoodness. I so enjoy these swaps... you could say they are addicting too! :) Anyways, this little guy is hanging out on the play mat I made R a few years ago and he comes with three little discs to help him plant his garden: row marker for carrots, seed packet and shovel!

When you flip them over, you find his garden has grown! There are carrots, tomatoes and a bunny! What garden isn't complete without a bunny competing for the vegetables? :)

And to make him ready for travel, they all fit in this little bag! :)

Not a part of any toy swaps? I made one extra and he's just waiting in my shop for a new home! :)

It all started when....

How many times do we look back on our lives and think "It all started when..."? Well, I can already see that comment coming true in our lives and I'm excited at the possibilities...

It all started when....

My first interested came when my Grandpa passed away. I know that sounds sort of odd but I can remember all of my Uncles standing in the garage deciding who wanted what of his tools. A few of them took a tool that they remembered him using or something like that but then there was a lot that they all decided could just be gotten rid of. Even at seventeen, I remember feeling this urge to hold on to it, to try and carry on a tradition I had otherwise never had any interest in. I remember seeing his work bench with wood parts already cut out and in progress for some bird feeders... it still makes me sad at the thought that he left something unfinished...I've often thought about those bird feeders and how I should make one like it just for some more closure.... maybe to prove to myself that I did it...

I'm so glad that I spoke up that day, and asked to have his scroll saw. I still to this day don't know why I did and then went on to feel bad for years because it sat in a box being unused. It would sit for about 6 years until I met my husband. Now I think it's pretty cool to think that a grandpa I wish I could have known more and my husband that I adore, would come together to teach me how to do wood working. We both come from a long line of "makers" and now we are both learning more and more so that this work of art isn't lost on our generation and so that it gets passed on to another one.

Well, if you've been following me for very long at all, you know that I am big into making childrens' toys... puppets, play food, and in the recent years... wooden. I've dabbled with the scroll saw, somewhat enjoyed the band saw and now fallen in love with wood burning!! I've had one of those junky ones for a few years, and it has served it's purpose well however I've been feeling lately like I needed to step it up a bit.... enter THE ad in the paper... THE ad that would change my toy making forever! :)

I was actually going to this sale in hopes of finding some woodcarving tools for my husband . The ad said that they had wood working tools but I figured it was a long shot at best. DH is always teasing me about why can't I find him good deals at yard sales! The tools I tend to find at yard sales are usually either way over priced or completely worn out and not worth the money... But still, I keep trying... and boy am I glad I did!!!

The girls and I went to the sale and showed up to a carport and cover porch FULL of old men going thru table after table of misc tools... now I'm not completely helpless when it comes to tools, but this was so overwhelming and packed that I decided just to ask. And wouldn't you know, they had just sold their nice wood carving set complete in a nice carry box?! I could have just cried.... until they directed me to the corner of the porch and said they thought there was some more up there... so there I am, in a skirt with two little girls in tow weaving in and out of old farmers etc (we were getting some pretty funny looks) to go find these other tools... not only did I find a set of carving tools for my hubby but I also opened an old plastic case to find what I was pretty sure was a more professional wood burning tool!!!! I asked one of the other guys shopping there just to be sure and it was!!!!!!  I went up to the guys selling it to ask him a question and he was a bit hard of hearing... instead he answered back... I'll take $20 for it! I thought I was going to fall over as I gripped it a bit tighter! lol

And so my newest obsession, uh I mean adventure, in wood burning began!

These were my first attempt at making peg dolls... I made one for each of my girls and they love them!! Now I am hooked and have been crafting up a storm!

We are big fans of Anne of Green Gables so I had to make Anne and Gilbert! :)

My friends saw my postings on FB and have been making requests for custom orders too! What fun!!

I'm having fun with the new challenges and my list to make keeps growing and growing...

I later found out that the wood burner and other wood working tools that I bought, had been used by an old lady that passed away. I had the chance to go in her wood shop and see some of the projects she had made... they were amazing in details, the kind that take your breath away. She too left a few projects unfinished... but I have a sense of awe... at the idea that these tools went from one crafts woman to another... and I'm proud to keep these traditions going... both for a lady I never met and for a grandpa I dearly loved...

Traditions are priceless...

Another moment in the recent past that has left a last impression on me and gave me the courage to try my hand at wood burning came from one of my VERY favorite fellow bloggers, MamaRoots! It was her article in Rhythm of the Home that first game me the confidence to try... just try to create something as beautiful as hers... not that I will ever be that good... but I tried and I loved it!!!

And bit by bit I am learning and getting better!! :)

I am just loving the learning process involved in working on wooden toys. I came across this post and thought it was really great! So if you're interested in making wooden toys... let me be the first to say... JUST DO IT!! Take the leap... cast your fears of messing up away... and see where the adventure takes you!!!

Someday you'll be able to look back and say "It all started when..."

Bring on the light!

Happy Solstice!

... I know... a day late... but since when can I get anything posted on time these days!?

This was taken during the eclipse... right before the clouds took over!

And this is one of the lanterns we made for our lantern walk on Solstice. We've never really "celebrated" the winter solstice before, I always read these amazing blogs about how others do it and I just always tend to run out of time for any preparations and end up just not doing anything because it won't be perfect.... So this year, I said to heck with it! We are going to do a lantern walk and if it's a flop we'll make it better next year!

We made these pretty little lanterns by covering a balloon with tissue paper and then popping the balloons. The four of us got bundled up and headed out for a walk in the woods... only having to light the candles half a dozen times or so before we made it to the woods! The wind was not cooperating! lol As we got closer to the woods, we saw a little light down by our little duck pond/large puddle.... We called out thinking someone was camping in our yard but no one answered.... and as we got closer we found it was a gnome couple fishing by candle light!!!

The girls were just giddy and even DH admitted later that it was SUCH a cool experience...

So... into the woods caroling we went!



This is the first Solstice that I was eager to welcome... bring on the light!!

The Demise of a pumpkin

Today we decided it was time to cut into the pumpkins....we've been reading all these great books and couldn't resist!


Out of all the books we read, I think this one left the most lasting impression...it's about a class who wants to know how many seeds are in their pumpkin with an underlying story that bigger isn't always better....gotta love a good wholesome story!




Before starting the demise...we all took a guess at just how many seeds we would find...

Small Pumpkin guesses...

J- 60
R-29
DH-342 (we thought he was crazy!)
Me- 99

Larger Pumpkin guesses...

J-176
R-80
DH-190
Me-300





and the results?


Drum roll please...

Small pumpkin seeds totaled....

321!

So I guess DH wasn't so crazy afterall! lol



And the big pumpkin?




Are you beating on the nearest surface?


.......I can't hear you....


drum roll please.....


506!!! How cool is that?







We got to make lots of comparisons about the differences we found...like the color of the meat inside...




and the size of the seeds too!






After soaking them in salt water over night these are going to make a great snack!

And the small pumpkin was quickly turned into these...



Chocolate chip pumpkin cookies!

(Recipe thanks to my dear friend Aimee!)

Enjoy!



2 1/2 C flour
1 t baking powder
1/2 t baking soda
1 1/2 t pumpkin pie spice
1 c butter
1 c sugar
2 eggs
1 16 oz. can 100% pure pumpkin
1 t vanilla
1 c chopped walnuts (I left these out-not much of a nut in cookies fan)
1 12 oz. bag semisweet chocolate chips


Directions:1. Preheat oven to 375.


Grease 2 cookie sheets.


Mix flour, powder, soda, and pumpkin pie spice in a bowl


Beat butter and sugar together in another bowl until light and fluffy. Beat in the eggs one at a time until smooth and well blended. Mix in the pumpkin and vanilla until smooth. Gradually add the flour mixture, stirring to make a smooth batter. Stir in nuts (if desired) and chocolate chips.


Drop by T sized spoonfulls onto prepared sheets.


Bake in preheated oven until edges are golden, 18-20 minutes. Cool briefly on sheets and then transfer to wire racks to cool completely.

Don't you just LOVE fall? My house is smelling so yummy these days!

Gone batty

Go here to check out the giveaway! Wouldn't he be just perfect for our fairy house? :) I think Elder needs a friend don't you? Oh how we love our wooden critters so!

A day of dragons

While exploring the Waldorf approach to schooling, we've happened on to a few celebrations that we otherwise wouldn't have known about. Some of these festivities are small and others are much more exciting and detailed...whatever the case my be, they are all simple and beautiful and I wish we were close enough to a Waldorf school to experience them fully. Until that day (hopefully someday) we just have to learn the best we can from what others share with us and make each festivity our own...




With that said, I introduce to you our day of dragons in the spirit of Michaelmas...a fall celebration of courage and determination. This is one of those celebrations that I knew/know little about, however we have always loved dragons so we thought we could give it a try! As I unpacked our book collection, I held out all the books we have about dragons. Surprisingly we had quite a few and the girls were anxious to read them all...all in one sitting if I'd let them...but then we wouldn't have had time to make this...











The girls loved decorating him with almond teeth, walnut spikes and cranberry eyes!







He looked a little rough after being baked...but boy was he yummy! lol This dragon bread was a nice addition to our chicken noodle soup for dinner and yummy spice cake for dessert! I had lots of other ideas for how the day would go but for a first time go around I thought it was pretty good. The girls played outside on the "new" swingset while I read this story of St George and how he slayed the dragon...by the end of it, the girls were sitting silently watching me read and so intend on listening that I could help but smile...I love homeschooling!






If you'd like to know more about this celebration, please check out these great blogs...they are great and such an inspiration to me. The education I have gotten from my fellow bloggers and homeschoolers is better than anything I learned in college! :)




Watkinseveryflavorbean


Crookedmoonmama




Frontier Dreams



Ancient Hearth



Twig and Toadstool


Our Little Nature Nest


The Lothians




I hope this season of change is a good one for you...and that you have the courage to slay the dragons in your life!

Our little Bits of Goodness

The last week has just flown by and I still have so much I wanted to share with all of you!

We are finally starting to get back in a schedule of sorts, and I am finally starting for feel more like being myself and less like being a zombee just going thru the motions of unpacking and sorting. We are getting to relax a bit more, explore and enjoy the natural progression of the summer turning to fall. I love this time of year...it just feels like mother nature is telling us to slow down and the rainy weather and cooler temps are just what we need to take a moment and enjoy the simple things...like apple sauce simmering on the stove and hot cider to sip while we read a good book!

Another excitement around our house is the unpacking of our comfort items...like the girls' play kitchen, my sewing desk and the nature table! While we haven't found all our nature table goodness, we have gotten back into swaps with Bits of Goodness and look what we found in the mail!



These lovelies are from the Tree swap that I recently took part in! Aren't they just beautiful!? The girls each got a tree, and the acorns/pouch but I claimed the necklace and the pouch for myself since the girls would only fight over them! lol It's nice to get something for myself once in awhile too and the girls didn't seem to mind... Ü





These are the little squids that I made for the Water swap! I can't wait to see what goodies we'll get in return! I just love the way these little guys turned out and of course I had to make a few more for the girls too! You can find the pattern here.

These swaps have been such a blessing to our family...the items we get and the quality of the craftmanship just amaze me! I am currently working on items for the fall nature table swap and the Christmas stocking/advent swap...more pictures to come!

Critters

I am going just about batty not being able to create the way I am used to....the wood working tools have long since been packed, the sewing machine is here with me but my fabrics are all folded and tucked away for the move and my felting needles are safely away too...so until then I will just have to enjoy the artful toys of others...including MamaRoots

This little guy is being given away in a giveaway! While I would love to win it, I know others would too so go check it out and I'll be here crossing my fingers that he comes to live in our travel trailer with us...boy would he be in for quite the adventure this summer! ;)

Last giveaways of the year!

Once again, there are two amazing giveaways on blogs I follow. These are two of my very favorite blogs and the magazine is something I look forward to each month! Be sure to check them out for your chance to win too!!!

Mamaroots is giving away this month's Herbal Roots magazine!

Herbal Roots is giving away one of Mamaroots amazing creatures!

Swap crazy!

I made these little salt dough pumpkins for the fall nature table swap...and this is what we got in return!

This necklace was one of my very favorites! I wear it all the time and had to make more for the girls and a few friends! Something so simple but beautiful!

And these were the goodies I got from the Just For Moms Swap! ( I forgot to take pictures of the pretty washrags I crocheted!)

I am currently hosting a swap for toy animals and the packages are starting to arrive! I'm just putting the finishing "hairs" on the knit horses I am making and will post pics soon!

Next comes the ladybug swap, winter nature table and advent! The fun never ends!

I feel like our house has been like a revolving door of crafts lately! We are so lucky to be part of this amazing community online of ladies who take their kids playtime very much to heart! The items we have been getting in swaps lately have many times brought me to tears with their beauty and detail. My girls are so lucky to receive such amazing treassures and I hope when they grow up they realize how many blessings God has brought to us...even through their toys!

A new community

I can't even begin to discribe how fortunate I feel to have this amazing support system thru my online communty of "friends". These aren't friends in the typical sense, I have never met them in person nor do I even know where many of them live...I do however get a view into their daily lives and for the most part share a common thread~natural parenting. I love that I get to see how they not only school their children at home but also make food that is nurishing to their bodies and toys that are awakening to their souls. When I feel like the world is a bit overwelming, I can easily find a friend that is going thru the same thing and their blogs are just the pep-talk I needed!
On top of everything else these mamas are doing they are crafting for swaps and even having give-a-ways! I am inspired by them and hope others check out their beautiful lives, children and crafts! Here is just a small sampling of the amazing blogs I check on a daily basis. My days are so much richer for having "known" them. Please check hem out!

One of the first blogs I ever read was MotheringNature and her strength is such an amazing tribute to her husband and beautiful children. She is one of my heroes...

I am inspired in a new way of learning (which is limitless) at Earthschooling

And last but not least, my favorite place for crafting ideas is WeeFolkArt

New found friends ....Check out these give-a-ways at GardenMama and SoWabiSabi !!!

Flower Children

"Hey Mom! The flower children were here and left mushrooms all over our back yard!"

I made this one!

I love hearing things like this from the girls...they really are learning about nature and using their imaginations along the way. Simple fun! It's great! No sooner had I gone out in the yard to check out the mushrooms and Janie was yelling that we needed to get our new flower children and take pictures of them with the mushrooms! So we did!

This one is from Syrendell

Isn't it great!?

They really got into posing the flower children and Janie loved getting to take pictures of them!

Here's a picture of all the treasures we got in the Flower Children swap...what a fun package to get!

Verses contest

A week or so ago, one of my favorite blogs held a contest of sorts and although I didn't win, my poem is on their blog for all to see! How exciting! Now I have ordered two of their darling snails and can't wait for their arrival with the fall fairies on the first day of fall! Please check out The Waldorf Way and read the other poems that were submitted!

Solstice ball!

The girls are so excited about the Solstice Ball tonight! They decided to put Christmas lights out for the fairies to have "stars" and also some water and sunflower seeds to snack on...We'll see what happens when we wake up in the morning. We hope the party is a success!

Fairies among us!

"We thought you'd never clean up your mess! We came last night but there was no room around all the toys! And then, you were making so much noise instead of napping so we had to wait to sneak in again! The ball is tomorrow night! Why can't we see the stars at night? We miss the lights!

Love,

Sunny

P.S. Thanks for the snacks! Building is hard work!

Janie has been just bubbling over about this pretzel and how cool it was that the fairies took all those little bites out of it! She came up with the idea of putting up Christmas lights for their party so the fairies will think they are stars...so cute! The girls are so loving the new items the fairies left...a grill, ladders etc. I love seeing them and their imaginations pouring out!

What will those fairies do next?

How'd they do that?

Jason and I were sitting on the porch enjoying our morning coffee when J came out to say good morning. When she went back into the house I could see her through the window. She walked in slowly....stopped....and turned around running! She came bursting thru the door so excited and told me I had to come see what happened to the mushrooms! I told her I hadn't seen anything different and Jason hadn't seen anything either but she insisted that we come and see! How'd those fairies do that?!





The note read..



"I hope our pounding didn't wake you! We tried to e quiet but there is just so much to do! Summer is an exciting time of year and the Solstice ball is SO much fun! Thanks for letting us borrow your mushrooms. Please tell your mom we put hers back!

Love Fern

A Summer fairy"